Stakeholders from across Europe and Central Asia Gather in İstanbul to Share Perspectives on the Post-2015 Development Agenda

ISTANBUL, Turkey, 5 November 2013 —
Representatives
from governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, academia and
the United Nations will meet in İstanbul from 6 to 8 November 2013 to discuss
the contribution of Europe and Central Asia to the global process of defining a
development agenda for the time after the expiration of the Millennium
Development Goals in 2015.

The event, titled “Inclusive and
Sustainable Development: Perspectives from Europe and Central Asia on the
Post-2015 Development Agenda”, is part of a series of global inclusive and
participatory dialogues engaging over a million people, and is supported by the
UN Development Group.

The meeting will start on 6
November with a civil society consultation. On the 7th, the launch
of the consultations will commence at Dedeman Istanbul Hotel. The consultations
will take place under the auspices and participation of Mr. Cevdet Yılmaz
Minister of Development, Republic of Turkey; Mr. Sven Alkalaj, Executive
Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe; Ms. Cihan Sultanoğlu, Chair
of the UN Development Group for Europe and Central Asia, and Regional Director
UNDP; Mr. Michael Gerber, Special Representative of Switzerland for Global Sustainable
Development, and Mr. Kadir Topbaş, Mayor of İstanbul and Member of the UN
Secretary-General's High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015
Development Agenda.

The Regional Consultation is a
cooperative effort organized and supported by the Turkish government and about
a dozen UN entities active in the region, with the core team consisting of
UNECE, UNEP, UNDP, UNICEF, ILO, WHO, UNFPA and IOM. The aim is to bring stakeholders
from across the Europe and Central Asia together to provide a regional
perspective on priorities that should be contained in the post-2015 agenda.

The highly diverse region captures
the challenges in balancing economic growth, environmental sustainability and
social inclusion. With the target date of the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) rapidly approaching, the event provides a regional reflection on
priorities for inclusion as a new global development agenda is being
formulated.

Cevdet Yilmaz, Minister of
Development of the Republic of Turkey stated that the Regional Consultation for
Europe and Central Asia, hosted by the Ministry of Development, Turkey in
partnership with the United Nations, would be held as part of the global
processes on the design of post-2015 development agenda. He expressed that the main objective of the
upcoming event of Regional Consultation is to provide a discussion platform to
gather the views of the European and Central Asian region on the post-2015
Development Agenda.

“For the new era on the
international development agenda, the decision makers have much more
responsibility when we evaluate the current achievements of the MDGs on global
level” said the Minister of Development.

“Attaching utmost importance to overcome
development challenges throughout the world, Turkey increases its Official
Development Assistance each year.” said Mr. Yılmaz, adding that the
organization of this event is a result of Turkey’s intention to increase its
contribution to the international development agenda. Mr. Yılmaz also expressed
that regarding its social and economic dynamism and logistical advantages,
İstanbul is one of the most convenient cities to hold such a meeting for the
region.

Sven Alkalaj, UNECE Executive
Secretary and Chair of the Regional Coordination Mechanism for Europe and
Central Asia recalled that during this year, the UN System in the region pooled
its expertise and formulated a regional post-2015 vision entitled “Building
more inclusive, sustainable and prosperous societies in Europe and Central
Asia”, which may serve as a reference for discussions at the meeting and
beyond.

“Creating the new development
agenda is a valuable opportunity to learn from and go beyond the MDGs. After
the Great Recession, we need nothing less than a Great Transformation to ensure
the future of the planet and its people. Europe and Central Asia are well
placed to spearhead this transformation,” he said.

“Because our fates are now so
inextricably interlinked, the delegates at this event will look at the need for
a universal agenda that applies to all countries and people,” said Cihan Sultanoglu,
UN Development Group Chair for Europe and Central Asia, “This call for a
universal agenda resonates in this diverse region, with low-, middle- and
high-income countries who all face challenges to reach the socially excluded
and grow their economies without inflicting undoable harm to the environment.”

Organized
in a series of interactive panels, participants will be able to explore and
contribute to the following topics during the discussions:

Education and decent jobs

Health and social protection

Population dynamics and migration

Sustainable consumption and production

Natural resource management and green cities

Good governance, human rights, participation and
the role of local government in sustainable development

Monitoring progress in sustainable development

Across the globe, Europe and
Central Asia included, discussions amongst all stakeholders about the new
development framework will continue in the hopes that the new agenda will
resonate with the needs and priorities of all. Please visit www.worldwewant2015.org for more information about how to become a part of this
global dialogue.